"I have a great deal of respect for Chris Palmer as a coach, and that was the reason we brought him here," Titans coach Mike Munchak said in a statement released by the team. "I appreciate the time and effort he put in here, and I want to wish him and his family the best moving forward."

"As an offense, I didn't feel like we were progressing the way that I had hoped. I believe we needed a change in direction, and I hope to see that progress in our remaining games. Dowell has worked here for a number of years under some very successful coordinators, and he is ready for this challenge."

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Palmer was Munchak's choice for offensive coordinator despite a poor NFL track record with the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. The Titans' offense has been mediocre since Munchak arrived. The defense this season is considerably worse.

This move sends a loud message, and we suspect it was forced on Munchak. Results need to change down the stretch or we could see an entirely new Titans coaching staff in 2013.